Arya swallowed the soup slowly, and Alfa made sure that it wasn't too warm. It was almost at room temperature.
Arya knew why Alfa had tensed after she asked him about Valac. He had almost killed her.
One thing Arya was sure of was that Valac was no longer on their territory. Natalie's tears told Arya that she was blaming herself for everything that happened.
"You will be able to go home tomorrow," Alfa said, as he put another spoon full of soup in her mouth. "Gretchen just needs you here today for observation."
"Water!"
Alfa handed Arya a glass of water and continued talking, "And your friend Rebecca... she's finally gaining some weight. She's all good."
"Thank God," Arya said.
Arya was genuinely happy for her friend. "Can I see her?" She asked. Her eyes were wide with hope, although she knew the answer.
"Not now. You need to rest. Maybe you can visit her after your discharge tomorrow."
Alfa tried to give her more soup, but her stomach was now screaming enough.
"That's enough. I'm full," she said politely.
"But you've barely eaten. You skipped breakfast, you barely ate lunch, and now, you just ate like what... three spoons?" Alfa said.
"Honestly, I can't eat another bite. I'm full."
"Alright," Alfa said, just as his eyes glowed. Arya knew someone had mindlinked him, so she excused herself to the bathroom.
In the mirror, she saw her neck in a bandage. Strange, because she didn't feel anything on her neck.
She tried moving her neck and felt no pain. Bella was fast in healing them.
'Bella, you there?' She asked. She hadn't felt her in a while.
No answer.
This was strange, considering how fast she healed them, feeling no pain, and Bella not responding.
"Arya?" Alfa said, which made Arya jump. She was so absorbed in herself that she didn't even hear him enter the bathroom.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you!" Alfa said, raising his hand in surrender.
"It's OK. It just... I didn't hear you come in."
That wasn't it. She didn't hear him. Or smell him. Or hear Dr Gretchen when she had come in. She didn't even hear her family come in. What was happening?
'Bella, I need answers.What's wrong with me? Bella?"
Where was this wolf when you needed her?
"I think you should rest. We'll talk in the morning," Alfa said, and Arya felt like something was wrong. He was hiding something from her. Something important.
"I think you're right. I need to sleep," Arya concluded.
She didn't want to, but she didn't want to argue with Alfa, her mate right now.
The sooner she's able to talk with Bella and get the answers she deserves, the better. For now, she wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. For what, she didn't know.
Sleep came so late that Arya felt like she woke up straight after she fell asleep.
'Gretchen, can ... Gretchen?' Arya tried to mindlink her but didn't feel any connection going through.
"That's strange." Arya thought. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. This time, she again focused, and soon, Dr Gretchen entered the room, greeting Arya.
"Morning Luna. How are you feeling?"
"I was about to call you. I couldn't sleep much last night. Oh, and I can't talk to Bella. I think something's wrong!" Arya said.
The glow on Gretchen's face faded instantly, but she managed to smile. "Luna, Alpha will be here soon. He told me to check on you, and you can go home today."
The way the doctor cut the topic of Bella didn't go unnoticed by Arya.
"Okay. Gretchen, I think something went wrong during the surgery. As I said, I can't feel Bella's presence," Arya said again, thinking that she might not have understood her the first time.
"Um... Luna... I..-"
"My love, you're awake," Alfa broke into Gretchen's sentence. "Why don't we go home, and we can talk."
A storm raged in Arya's heart. After the surgery, she couldn't feel Bella. Had something gone wrong during her operation?
But how could her wolf stop contacting her?
She couldn't even mindlink anyone! What was she supposed to do?
"Love?" Alfa questioned.
"Yes, let's go," Arya said.
During the drive, Arya sat still. Now, she was somewhat scared. There were too many questions, and she needed answers now. She felt the same way she had felt for the past twenty-five years, when she didn't have a wolf.
Alfa was also silent during the ride. Arya tried to sleep but couldn't. The road seemed never-ending.
While traveling, Arya tried constantly to reach out to Bella but couldn't.
Tears threatened to fall, but she controlled it, as she didn't want to seem weak. She was the luna, for crying out loud.
As she made it to her room, everyone bowed and said their greetings, but she could feel something else in their voice; pity.
She couldn't feel the connection to any of these wolves. Is Bella sick? Is Bella angry? Is Bella hurt? Why is she not responding?
Alfa held her hand, but she just pushed it away. Arya didn't care who saw it. She wanted to be alone and alone she would be!
"Arya?"
"What the hell has happened to me?" Arya screamed.
They had entered their room, and she couldn't hold it in anymore. Ever since she had woken up the day before, she felt something was wrong.
She was able to heal, but why didn't she feel any pain? It wasn't like she was a vampire who could heal instantly and not feel pain at all.
"Lo... -"
"No, Alfa. I want to know what's going on, and I want to know right now!"
The expression on Arya's face was difficult to read. She seemed hurt, angry, frustrated, and even confused.
"Sit," Alfa said, sitting on the bed himself.
His voice was a different calm. Like the calm before a storm.
Arya just sat without questioning. Alfa looked straight ahead. Not once did he look at Arya.
"Your wolf is dormant," Alfa began, and Arya almost choked on her own saliver.
Alfa paused to let the words set in, then continued, "When Valac... strangled you, a part of your soul got tainted... so to prevent you from becoming evil and help you heal, I had to make a deal with him. Your tainted wolf lives dormant inside you in return for your life and healing."
A long silence followed as Arya processed what she had just heard.
"So you chose me over my wolf?" Arya said slowly.
"Your wolf was tainted."
"How do you know? Did I do something while unconscious?"
"Arya, try to understand..." "No, Alfa! You try to understand! You had no right to .... can I get her back?" Arya's demeanor changed from anger to determination.
Dormant meant asleep. If there was a way to 'wake' her up, she'd get her wolf back.